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PROSECUTORS have asked judges to penalise a man accused of embezzling BD47,000 from a charity’s funds to the maximum extent of the law.
The former teacher, who was the long-standing treasurer of a cerebral palsy charity society, is on trial at the High Criminal Court on charges of forgery and embezzlement.
He has denied accusations of altering information on signed cheques issued by the organisation and disbursing the cash to himself over the course of six years, between 2017 and 2023.
The 61-year-old Bahraini earlier said he did not remember stealing the money from the charity’s bank account, but was found to be mentally sound by a panel of four consultant psychiatrists in a court-ordered psychological evaluation.
“What a hideous betrayal it is for the defendant to take money collected from good-willed donors, who wanted to help disabled people, for himself,” a prosecutor told judges.
“The money was meant for supporting youth with cerebral palsy, not for satisfying the defendant’s worldly desires.
“The Public Prosecution does not hesitate to ask that the defendant be handed the maximum punishment – not only to rid society of such crimes, but also to deter those who wish to follow in his footsteps.”
The official also said the defendant had admitted to the charges during Public Prosecution hearings, in addition to other evidences including witness statements and an allegedly extensive paper trail left by him.
During earlier court hearings, the Bahraini defendant denied the charges but allegedly admitted to them during a board meeting of the society.
Several members of the charity testified that the man admitted to swindling its funds during a board meeting earlier this year since he was deep in debt.
Although he reportedly returned a part of the missing funds, the charity filed a complaint with the Social Development Ministry which launched an investigation into the alleged theft.
The society aims to reduce the financial burden on parents of children disabled by cerebral palsy, providing mobility aids, assistive devices, rehabilitation, therapy, access to specialists and awareness workshops.
The GDN earlier reported that the Public Prosecution accused him of changing the payable amounts on cheques signed by the society’s president.
An auditor, who gave his testimony, said the amounts written on the cheques did not match the ones on the cheque stubs, and that the treasurer had been the one responsible for cashing them.
During his first court hearing, the suspect claimed to have fallen into a deep depression. He said he had been suffering from bouts of psychosis after the psychiatrist who treated him and ‘kept his mental condition at bay’ died last year after contracting Covid-19.
He also claimed to suffer from amnesia, declaring “I remember nothing due to my mental condition and sometimes, I even forget my own name”.
Judges adjourned the hearing to January 29 when a verdict will be issued in the case.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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